John a



. (No Model.)

J. A. BOLEN.

RATGHET BIT BRAGE.

' No. 342,727. Patented May 25, 1886.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT Ofi-meng JOHN A. BOLEN, OF SPRINGFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LEONARD L. DAVIS, OF SAME PLACE.

RATCHET BIT-BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,727, dated May 25,1886.

Application filed March 18, 1886. Serial No. 195,635. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. BOLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of 5Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in RatchetBit-Braces, f which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ratchet bit-braces; and theinvention consists ro in the peculiar construction and arrangement ofthe parts, as hereinafter fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

lIn the drawings, forming part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2are top plan views, i5 partly in section, of the parts of a bit-brace atthejunction of the handle and the bit-holding stock embodying myinvention, said figures showing the pawls and their controllingmechanism in two different positions. Fig. 3 is a zo side elevationshowing one side of the handle near the ratchet broken away to show theinternal mechanism.

In the drawings', 2 is the upper portion of the stock in which the bitis secured, the lower portion being shown broken off in the drawings,for the within-described invention relates,

essentially, to improved pawl devices for op-,

erating in conjunction with a ratchet secured to the upper end of saidstock 2, said pawl 3o devices being located in that part of the bitbraceimmediately connected to the stock and adapted to be engaged with anddisengaged from the said ratchet on the latter. The upper end of thestock 2 is made of suitable size to pass through a perforation madethrough the bifurcated end'of the brace or handle 3, and aratchet-wheel, 4, is secured on the stock by a screw or other suitablemeans, as shown, between the opposite parts of the bifurcated .lo end ofthe brace, whereby thelatter is secured on the stock and is capable ofbeing rotated thereon in the usual way. The brace 3 has a socket in itsend, as shown in Figs. l and 2, to receive the end of the usual bentportion thereof.

Figs. l and 2 illustrate the interior of the part of the brace 3adjoining the stock 2 about online x x, Fig. 3. Two longitudinal socketsare formed in said brace parallel to 5o each other, in which are locatedtwo pawls, 6

6, which are adapted to have a to-and-fro endwise motion therein. Aspiral spring, 7, is located between the rear end of each pawl and theextreme end of its socket, whereby the pawl is moved outward when freeto do so, and its outer end is brought into engagement with the teeth ofthe ratchet 4. Two of said pawls are employed in order to control themovement of the ratchet-wheel and the stock in both directions by theswing of `the brace 3, 6o the outer end of each pawl being beveled off'on one side, as shown, to let the teeth of said wheel ride over itwithout resistance when turned in one direction. The outer side of eachpawl has a flat-faced recess, 8, formed therein, in which the end of ascrew, 9,which passes through the opposite sides of the brace,

engages, whereby the pawls are securedin the latter, and are allowed alimited longitudinal movement determined by the length of said 7orecess. A pawl-actuating stud, 10, is placed in the brace 3 between saidtwo pawls, the lower end of its shank entering a socket beneath thelatter, as shown in Fig. 3, and said lower end of' the stud-shank isconnected with 75 the upper part thereof by a quadrant-formed extension(in cross-section) or neck, l2, which by the location of said stud isbrought immediately between the inner opposite sides of' the two pawls,and in each .of the latter is 8o formed a curved recess, A13, thecircumferential line of which corresponds with that of the shank of thestud 10 and consequently of the curved side of said quadrant-formedeXten-, sion 12. Said stud has a rotary motion (by means of thelinger-piece shown on its outer end) within the brace, which is limitedin each direction by the pin 14, lwhich is driven into the latter andhas one end projecting through the side of the socket in which said studturns, 9o and when the latter is turned, vas in Fig. 2, to carry onepawl backward into its socket the side of the extension l2 of the studstrikes the end of said pin and prevents the stud from A being rotatedfarther in that direction, and said extension from being turned so faras to beclear from said pawl, thereby permitting the latter to be thrownoutward by its spring.

It wir'l be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that `only one at a time of thepawls 6 can be thrown roo backward by the stud 10, and consequently onethereof always extends between the. parts of the stud which areconnected by the extension 12, and over that part beneath thepawls, andthereby one of the latter always serves to lock the stud in the brace.

When the pawls and stud are assembled in the brace, the stud l() isflrstplaced in the lattervand turned to the position shown in Fig. 1,allowing the pawls to be placed in their sockets from the ratchet end ofthe brace, and then the screw 9 is turned in to engage with the recessin the side of each pawl.

The operation of the said improvements is as follows: Fig. 1 shows thestud 10 turned to a position which leaves both pawls free to be drivenforward against the ratchet wheel 4, and to engage the opposite sides ofone of the teeth of the latter, thereby so locking the brace 3 and thestock 2 together that the latter may be turned in either direction bythe brace. To turn the stock in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 2, the stud l0 is turned to swing its extension 12 into engagementwith the curved recess 13 in one of the pawls, as there shown, forcingthe latter back away from the ratchet-wheel, and when so turned (as inFig. 2) the stud remains immovable and holds the retired pawl, leavingthe other one free to engage with'the ratchet-wheel, as shown; and tooperate the stock 2in the opposite direction the stud 10 is turnedaround to throw back the pawl shown in engagement with the ratchetwheelin Fig. 2, and let the other pawl engage with said wheel.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In combination, the stock 2, havingthe ratchet-wheel 4 secured thereon, the brace 3, rotatably attached tosaid stock, two springactuated pawls, 6, located in said brace andcapable of engaging with said ratchet-wheel. and a rotating stud, 10,located between said pawls and having a quadrant shaped extension,12,between its upper and lower portions, engaging with either of said pawlsto withdraw them from the ratchet-wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. The brace 3, the ratchet-wheel 4, the pawl 6, having a curved recessin its side, a rotating stud, 10, having the quadrant-shaped extensiontherein to engage with said curved recessand a spring to move the pawlontward, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the..stock 2, having a ratchet-wheel thereon,and brace 3, attached to'said stock, of two longitudinallymoving pawlslocated in the brace to engage with said ratchet-wheel, a rotating stud,substantially as described, located in the brace between said pawls andengaging with the latter alternately to move them endwise, and.

suitable springs to drive saidy pawls against said ratchet-wheel,substantially as set forth.

JOHN A. BOLEN. XVitnesses:

G. M. CHAMBERLAIN, W H. OHAPIN.

